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ayaghmour2 · 10-28-2023, 04:45 PM

1st Round, 13th Overall: 2B Biff Tiner
School: Elkin Elks
1948: .520/.574/.867, 116 PA, 14 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 33 SB
Career: .511/.571/.856, 373 PA, 44 2B, 18 3B, 10 HR, 95 RBI, 81 SB

I'll be honest, my excitement for this draft went from 100 to 0 about as quickly as it could. With three lottery balls, I thought we had a really good chance to pick in the top five, so falling all the way down to 13th was a gut punch mixed with a stab in the heart all followed up by a curb stomp from lady luck when it looked like things were starting to go right for the city.

The worst part is towards the end I got my hopes up because one of the guys I really wanted was still available at ten, a pick we had to wake a while for, and on command, that was the pick where the Eagles crushed my heart once more by selecting "Smokestack Lightning" from Lane State. How can you resist a name like that!

Tom Perkins, who turns 22 in May, will be a three year starter at short, and is coming off a season where he hit .329 with 13 doubles, 9 triples, 3 homers, 33 RBIs, 40 steals and an excellent 23-to-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Yes, we have Skipper at short, but Perkins looks to be a five-tool player -- if the power comes through -- and he could be ready for the big leagues after draft day. He would have been an awesome addition to the roster, playing at third against lefties, but instead we had to go back to the drawing board.

Call it drafting for need, listening to my scout, going with the best available, or being tired on a Saturday morning after a thrilling game one, but the eventual first pick for us be Biff Tiner, a 17-year-old second basemen from Burlington, North Carolina. We didn't have a first round pick last year, which may be the last time that happens, but this makes four consecutive drafts where our first pick came from the high school ranks.

Now don't get my sadness/disappointment mistaken for a lack of talent, as even in a class like this, missing out on your top targets always stings. It would have been better in a non-lottery world, as picking 13th would be expected and I would have planned my draft accordingly. But I've never been a fan of taking non SP/CF/SS/C with an early pick.

Still, once the disappointment finally fades, it will be a lot easier to appreciate Biff Tiner, even if he doesn't end up going the Bob Allen route and become a top 10 prospect. A four year starter at Elkin, Tiner is a very intriguing prospect despite being a natural second basemen with no experience elsewhere. Standing at 6'2'', Tiner has the chance to be elite, and Dixie Marsh even goes ahead and says so. He loves his speed, contact tool, and even potential power, saying he profiles as a "potential elite second basemen on a contending team." Second base is one of our few weak spots right now. even if Clark Car actually ranks 7th according to OSA, as him and Billy Hunter are both 34 and won't be around forever. Sure, someone like George Sutterfield or Elmer Grace could shift over to the keystone, but neither of them have the bat of Tiner.

A two-time .500 hitter, Biff owns an impressive .511/.571/.856 line in 73 games with 72 extra base hits and 81 steals. He walks at a near 10% rate (9.9) and strike out just over 5% (5.1) of the time, and his hard work has paid off. He's the first guy in and the last guy to leave, spending countless hours in the cage as he works on his swing. This should help him develop above average power, as he has the frame for it just not yet the muscle. Leaning what pitches he can and can't handle will be the next step, as since he swings with such authority, when he makes contact he shoots frozen ropes to the pull side and has the speed to take advantage of his hits in the gaps. He should be a great base stealer, can take advantage of weak grounders in the infield, and is always looking to take the extra base. What may have hurt us last year, well, aside from the one-run games and league worst OBP, is the fact that we clogged up the bases with old vets like Mitchell, Sharp, Pack, and Mead, so adding some speed and excitement on the bases is something I've wanted to do.

Since he doesn't turn 18 until July, Tiner won't be a reinforcement anytime soon, but he's the type of guy who seems destined to have a long career in the majors. Elite may be a stretch, but second base is a weak position and he has a chance to be the best one. Dixie likes him enough to rank him in his top five for the pool, and while I don't think he'll crack the top 25 right away, he seems likely to rank in the top 100 until he's ready to debut. What will determine stardom for Tiner is the power, and the combination of work ethic, our development squad, and his height, it gives be all the belief I need that he can develop into a top-three second basemen. He'll hit for a high average, won't strike out, and should be more then capable of playing an excellent second base. The more I write about him, the more sold I am we'll be alright, but part of me believes that he still would have been available when our second pick came up. But with most of the guys I like already gone, I knew I had to take him when the opportunity came, and we should be very grateful with the player he turns into.

But he doesn't have a cool nickname like Smokestack Lightning...

Biff... Biff... Biff...

Can we make that cool?

Burlington Biff? Does that work?

Oh well, I have a few seasons to brainstorm!

10-28-2023, 04:45 PM	#1246
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,090	1949 Draft: Round 1 1st Round, 13th Overall: 2B Biff Tiner School: Elkin Elks 1948: .520/.574/.867, 116 PA, 14 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 33 SB Career: .511/.571/.856, 373 PA, 44 2B, 18 3B, 10 HR, 95 RBI, 81 SB I'll be honest, my excitement for this draft went from 100 to 0 about as quickly as it could. With three lottery balls, I thought we had a really good chance to pick in the top five, so falling all the way down to 13th was a gut punch mixed with a stab in the heart all followed up by a curb stomp from lady luck when it looked like things were starting to go right for the city. The worst part is towards the end I got my hopes up because one of the guys I really wanted was still available at ten, a pick we had to wake a while for, and on command, that was the pick where the Eagles crushed my heart once more by selecting "Smokestack Lightning" from Lane State. How can you resist a name like that! Tom Perkins, who turns 22 in May, will be a three year starter at short, and is coming off a season where he hit .329 with 13 doubles, 9 triples, 3 homers, 33 RBIs, 40 steals and an excellent 23-to-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Yes, we have Skipper at short, but Perkins looks to be a five-tool player -- if the power comes through -- and he could be ready for the big leagues after draft day. He would have been an awesome addition to the roster, playing at third against lefties, but instead we had to go back to the drawing board. Call it drafting for need, listening to my scout, going with the best available, or being tired on a Saturday morning after a thrilling game one, but the eventual first pick for us be Biff Tiner, a 17-year-old second basemen from Burlington, North Carolina. We didn't have a first round pick last year, which may be the last time that happens, but this makes four consecutive drafts where our first pick came from the high school ranks. Now don't get my sadness/disappointment mistaken for a lack of talent, as even in a class like this, missing out on your top targets always stings. It would have been better in a non-lottery world, as picking 13th would be expected and I would have planned my draft accordingly. But I've never been a fan of taking non SP/CF/SS/C with an early pick. Still, once the disappointment finally fades, it will be a lot easier to appreciate Biff Tiner, even if he doesn't end up going the Bob Allen route and become a top 10 prospect. A four year starter at Elkin, Tiner is a very intriguing prospect despite being a natural second basemen with no experience elsewhere. Standing at 6'2'', Tiner has the chance to be elite, and Dixie Marsh even goes ahead and says so. He loves his speed, contact tool, and even potential power, saying he profiles as a "potential elite second basemen on a contending team." Second base is one of our few weak spots right now. even if Clark Car actually ranks 7th according to OSA, as him and Billy Hunter are both 34 and won't be around forever. Sure, someone like George Sutterfield or Elmer Grace could shift over to the keystone, but neither of them have the bat of Tiner. A two-time .500 hitter, Biff owns an impressive .511/.571/.856 line in 73 games with 72 extra base hits and 81 steals. He walks at a near 10% rate (9.9) and strike out just over 5% (5.1) of the time, and his hard work has paid off. He's the first guy in and the last guy to leave, spending countless hours in the cage as he works on his swing. This should help him develop above average power, as he has the frame for it just not yet the muscle. Leaning what pitches he can and can't handle will be the next step, as since he swings with such authority, when he makes contact he shoots frozen ropes to the pull side and has the speed to take advantage of his hits in the gaps. He should be a great base stealer, can take advantage of weak grounders in the infield, and is always looking to take the extra base. What may have hurt us last year, well, aside from the one-run games and league worst OBP, is the fact that we clogged up the bases with old vets like Mitchell, Sharp, Pack, and Mead, so adding some speed and excitement on the bases is something I've wanted to do. Since he doesn't turn 18 until July, Tiner won't be a reinforcement anytime soon, but he's the type of guy who seems destined to have a long career in the majors. Elite may be a stretch, but second base is a weak position and he has a chance to be the best one. Dixie likes him enough to rank him in his top five for the pool, and while I don't think he'll crack the top 25 right away, he seems likely to rank in the top 100 until he's ready to debut. What will determine stardom for Tiner is the power, and the combination of work ethic, our development squad, and his height, it gives be all the belief I need that he can develop into a top-three second basemen. He'll hit for a high average, won't strike out, and should be more then capable of playing an excellent second base. The more I write about him, the more sold I am we'll be alright, but part of me believes that he still would have been available when our second pick came up. But with most of the guys I like already gone, I knew I had to take him when the opportunity came, and we should be very grateful with the player he turns into. But he doesn't have a cool nickname like Smokestack Lightning... Biff... Biff... Biff... Can we make that cool? Burlington Biff? Does that work? Oh well, I have a few seasons to brainstorm!